RARE AmeriCorps members have a variety of backgrounds and bring to their communities a wide-range of experiences. Many RARE AmeriCorps members are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who use their year in RARE AmeriCorps to explore community development and natural resource work in the United States. Some are graduate students or have recently completed planning, environmental science or related graduate programs. Others have completed another AmeriCorps program or are participating in RARE AmeriCorps to clarify their goals before making a commitment to a particular graduate program.

Regardless of their backgrounds, all RARE AmeriCorps members are exploring the fields of community development, planning and natural resource management. Members are expected to be open to a challenging learning experience both through their field placement and through trainings. Extensive interaction with the RARE AmeriCorps peer group, RARE AmeriCorps staff, and practitioners facilitates significant feedback and mentoring. While RARE AmeriCorps members are not expected to come to the program with all of the skills and knowledge needed to advance projects, they are expected to be open to gaining those skills and learning the information. In addition to the technical skill development, RARE AmeriCorps members will also learn about organizational development, leadership and communication.

RARE AmeriCorps members also have a commitment to assisting in underserved rural areas. While RARE AmeriCorps members may or may not have lived in rural areas previously, they are interested in both serving those communities and in living in them, understanding that rural communities often do not have the same amenities as urban areas, and that distances between communities in Oregon can be far.